Zermatt's best restaurants and bars, including good cheaper alternatives and
options on the mountain

Zermatt has 56 mountain restaurants, many of which are reachable on foot, too. If you arrive before midday and are not a large group, booking is often unnecessary. Swift, good-value family bets are the self service places at Sunegga, Riffelberg, Gornergrat and Trockener Steg. But it’s a shame not to try the world famous table service places too. Top of many a list is Chez Vrony (967 2552) at Findeln. Just as appealing, I find, are these:

Aroleid A weathered, chalet-style building, rustic, amiable and unpretentious, with excellent Swiss specialities such as rösti with bacon and eggs served by smiley waiters. Where: Furi, facing the junction where the red 52 and black 62 pistes merge. How much: Main courses from CHF14 Contact: 0041 27 967 2658; takes cards; open daily; usually no need to book.

Vis-a-Vis Part of the imposing mountaintop Gornergrat hotel (3,089m), Vis-a-Vis is underrated and rarely too busy. Its traditional dishes are beautifully done and presented: dishes include garlic soup served in a “bread bowl” (CHF17.50), or rösti with veal sausage (CHF23.50). Service is speedy and there's a vast terrace with the best views of the Monte Rosa massif. You can often see ibex, too, yards from the terrace. The self service place in the next-door room is adequate. Where: Just above to top station of the Gornergrat railway, up an elevator. How much: Main courses from CHF19.50. Contact: 966 6400; cards accepted; open daily; booking not usually needed.

Fluhalp Within this handsome old mountain hut is a warren of cosy little wood-panelled rooms. Soups, pastas and salads – including a great tagliatelle – come in satisfying portions at reasonable prices. There's live music in February and March on the large terrace, pictured, which has a view of the most perfect aspect of the Matterhorn. Where: Standing alone in the valley between the Stockhorn and the Rothorn, an easy traverse from red piste number 19. How much: Main courses from CHF19. Contact: 967 2597; fluhalp-zermatt.ch; cards accepted; open daily; booking advisable if a large group, or in high season.

Bontadini My favourite place to eat in Italy is Bontadini, which has a smart downstairs part, with light flooding through floor-to-ceiling windows, and a self service upstairs offering tasty pastas and drinks at about half the price. Downstairs, the gamey menu of Aosta Valley specialities includes tagliatelle with deer with “Twelve Slugs Bourguignonne Style”. There's also a great wine list. In general in Italy, prices are lower than in Zermatt and the food the same – or better – quality. Other favourites over the border include Le Clochard – good value and off the beaten track, with a stream to cross en route back to the piste – and Chalet Etoile. Where: At the bottom of the chairlift just below the Theodulpass. How much: Main courses from 14 euros. Contact: 0039 0166 948410; takes cards; booking difficult as phone rarely manned, so arrive by midday; open daily.

Findlerhof One of a collection of restaurants on the south-west facing slope just below the Sunnegga funicular top station, this friendly, family-run place has superb food and great views of the Matterhorn. Specialities include fish soup and fillet of lamb with herbs. The nearby Adler Hitta also comes highly recommended. Where: On Findeln, near the more famous Chez Vrony. How much: Main courses from CHF19, meat dishes about double. Contact: 967 2588; findlerhof.ch cards accepted; booking advisable; open daily.

Stafelalp A bright, modern wing was added to the modest old Stafelalp restaurant a few years ago, sending it upmarket (the sheepskins on seats are a tell tale sign of fairly high prices) but also providing a lovely, colourful light-filled room for lunch, and a sheltered terrace (with live music in spring). Food and service are top notch. Where: On the red run (52) back from Schwarzsee, with the north face of the Matterhorn looming close. How much: Main courses from CHF20, meat dishes about double. Contact: 967 3062; cards accepted; booking not usually necessary; open daily.

In town

Zermatt town has 111 restaurants and food outlets, from Wilde Hilde (rotisserie chickens) and Take-It Doner to smart Asian restaurants (Myoko Japanese is popular with locals) and stylish Grills. Typically, pizza and pasta costs CHF20-plus, cheese fondue CHF24 and meat or fish dishes CHF30-plus. Pork is usually the cheapest meat.

Cheap

Restaurant du Pont An unpretentious, family friendly place, offering great value rösti, viande sechee and fondue, quick service and a cosy, convivial atmosphere. There's a similar place right next door. Where: Oberdorfstrasse 7, just beyond the Zermatterhof, where there's a wiggle in the main street. How much: Main courses from CHF15. Contact: 0041 27 967 4343; dupont-zermatt.com;no cards; reservations possible but often not needed; open daily.

Schwyzer Stuebli The excellent set menu, which changes daily, is a steal. There's also a good a la carte (mid-range prices), with Swiss specialities, and great service by cheerful, dirndl-clad waitresses. But the real bonus is live Swiss music: a weekly changing three-piece band plays daily from 5pm. It's a brilliant place to take children for an early family supper, or to have a waltz between courses. Where: Bahnhofstrasse 5, in the Schweizerhof Hotel on the main street, about two minutes' walk from the station. Access is via a small open hall, by a souvenir shop. How much: About CHF27 for three courses. Contact: 966 0000; schweizerhofzermatt.ch; cards accepted; reservations advisable for groups; open daily.

Mid-range

Walliserhof Grill There's a Mediterranean slant to the cooking at this central, high quality place – the chef, Sylvain Stefanazzi, is half Italian. Starters include tuna carpaccio with soya and balsamic vinegar, mustard cream and coriander and main courses include picatta of pork fillet mignon with pecorino, homemade saffron cannelloni stuffed with ricotta and spinach and puddings. There's also a seven course “surprise” tasting menu (CHF72). The room is cosy with exposed stone, pale wood panelling and black and white photos of mountain and ski scenes. Where: Bahnhofstrasse 30, at the Hotel Walliserhof, half-way up the main street. How much: Main courses from CHF28. Contact: 966 6555; walliserhof-zermatt.ch; cards accepted, open daily, booking advisable.

Hotel Alex Grill This basement restaurant in the Hotel Alex has garish stained glass mountain scenes on the walls and paisley upholstered chairs with gold frames that may not be to everyone's taste (I love it), but you can't argue with the quality of the food. It's rich, delicious and occasionally eccentric – there's white wine soup with dried meat; duck breast with pumpkin-mango chutney and sweet potatoes; icy Läckerli mousse, coffee ice cream and sauce of vanilla from Tahiti; plus a great range of Swiss steaks. Where: Bodmenstrasse 12, in the Hotel Alex, set back from the main street, very near the station. How much: Main courses from CHF38. Contact: 966 7070; hotelalexzermatt.com; cards accepted; open daily; booking advisable.

Chalet da Giuseppe An unpretentious, low key place with high quality Italian food – risottos, pastas, meat – and a charismatic host. Opt for the early shift (from 6pm) for the best chance of getting a table. Where: Vispastrasse 26, close to Sunnegga. How much: Main courses from CHF32. Contact: 967 1380; chalet-da-giuseppe.ch; cards accepted; booking advisable; open daily.

Expensive

The Omnia This starkly modern restaurant in a contemporary design hotel (pictured; see hotels) offers a la carte and gourmet menus, with matching wines and imaginative dishes such as veal with foie gras, hibiscus, bulgur wheat and cherries. It's popular with locals for special occasions: Caroline Ogi-Stefanazzi, who runs Hotel Walliserhof, names it as a favourite. Where: Auf dem Fels, inside The Omnia, a hotel perched on a hillside and accessed through a tunnel from the upper part of the main street. How much: Four-course gourmet menu CHF111 (corresponding wines CHF79); a la carte main courses from CHF48. Contact: 966 7171; the-omnia.com; cards accepted; open daily; booking advisable.

Heimberg This acclaimed culinary temple, pictured above, at the top of the main street has a Michelin star and an imaginative approach, offering “surprise Alpine dining”, such as a sliver of fish served on a piece of scree, a starter of trout with goat's cheese, a main course of pike perch with spiced wine and a dessert of hazelnut, apple and beetroot. Where: Bahnhofstrasse 84 How much: Main courses about CHF50 Contact: 967 8484; heimberg-zermatt.ch; cards accepted; open in winter only; booking essential.